Dot Bagel: The Best Vegan Bagels in the Tyne

Dot Bagels in Newcastle Upon Tyne offers a tasty addition to the city’s brunch scene, specialising in authentic New York-style bagels with a Newcastle twist. The Heaton shop has a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere ideal for a quick bite or a coffee meet-up alongside a breakfast bagel. The bagels themselves are the true highlight: dense, chewy, and perfectly flavoured, they hit all the right notes for New York authenticity. The variety of flavours is also truly impressive, ranging from classic plain and sesame to more inventive options like onion & garlic and, my favourite, the everything bagel. Each bagel is generously filled with fresh and flavourful ingredients, serving up plenty of options for both meat eaters and vegans. While the menu focuses on bagels, they also offer fresh coffee and juices, as well as hash pops and pizza pops, rounding out the experience. Dot Bagels is committed to authenticity, blending New York and the Toon, and the quality makes it worth a visit to any of the three sites. Every time I visit Newcastle, I have to make sure I pop into one of the stores to either pick up a quick lunch or grab myself a couple of in-house-made bagels to take home.

One thing I have absolutely missed since turning vegan is a parmo. A parmo is a regional dish from the North East consisting of a breaded chicken, smothered in a rich béchamel sauce and melted cheese, then grilled until bubbly. Often served in a pizza box with chips and salad. Very few places actually do a vegan parmo until I discovered the Dot Bagel menu. The North East Parmo Bagel from Dot Bagels offers a distinctive twist on two beloved regional favourites. This creation combines the iconic parmo with the soft, chewy texture of a classic New York bagel. Onion, garlic, poppy & sesame seed Everything Bagel surrounding a breaded vegan “chicken breast” topped with dairy-free bechamel and cheeze on top of shredded Garlic Slaw & Garlic Mayo. On tasting, the bagel held up well to the richness of the parmo filling without becoming soggy. The chicken was tender, which complemented the creamy béchamel sauce nicely. The cheeze topping was very generous, melted to a gooey, golden finish, and did I mention it was absolutely massive? The balance between the crunchy salad and the rich parmo was well-executed, avoiding the heaviness one might expect from such a combination. When visiting, even at breakfast time, I can never avoid the parmo.

Alongside the North East Parmo bagel, we also had to try the vegan NFC Bagel. As big “green goddess” fans, this one stood out to us right away as a must-try. The NFC Bagel offers a fresh take on a Kentucky Fried classic. Once again, we just had to go for the Everything Bagel, and it paired perfectly with the Newcastle Fried vegan Chicken. The combination of the fried vegan chicken is very well balanced with the ranch and buffalo sauce, without overwhelming the green goddess base. The whole filling melds well, combining savoury and tangy notes without spilling the whole thing everywhere. You can taste the fresh ingredients, and the textures range from creamy to crunchy, especially with the huge slice of pickle. Overall, the NFC Bagel is a satisfying option for those seeking a hearty, flavoursome vegan bagel in Heaton, Jesmond ,or The Claremont Teahouse.

Now you just know this isn’t our first visit. In the past, we have also gone for the Vegan All-Dayer, combining vegan sausage, bacon, hash brown & cheeze held together amazingly with a mushroom, fresh spinach, and avocado. As well as the Salt on Chilli Rd, which puts together salt and chilli fried vegan chicken with a pickled sesame slaw, gochujang mayo, fried onions & fresh chillies. Both are incredible options and work for any time of day, whether you want a full breakfast to try and clear a hangover or need those spicy salt and chilli flavours to get you through the day. I also love that in the pictures you can see, despite getting a different “other” bagel each time, the other visits also required us to get a North East Parmo bagel. You like what you like, and until Manchester has a reliable source of vegan parmos, I’ll order it every time! Dot Bagels is honestly one of my favourite places in Newcastle, alongside The Ship Inn, and if you’re ever visiting, or if you’ve never been, do yourself a favour and pop in today!